RESIDENTS have been left fuming after a hedgerow at the back of their homes was hacked down by a developer with no prior notice.
The 100m hawthorn bush was chopped down last week in Stokesley, North Yorkshire, with locals saying it was home to an “abundance of wildlife”.
Residents have been left fuming after a developer hacked down a hedgerow at the back of their homes[/caption]
They claim they were given no prior notice[/caption]
It has also resulted in a loss of privacy for their homes, they said[/caption]
The established hedgerow ran behind a Tilia property development at The Bluebells in Tanton Fields and was allegedly removed without warning.
Residents of Whitehorn Close say the uprooting has not only displaced wildlife but has resulted in a loss of privacy for their homes.
In correspondence seen by Teesside Live, Tilia Homes states the bush had to be removed as part of maintenance to a culvert beside it “to ensure proper water flow and to prevent potential flooding.”
They also said the work was carried out in line with the development’s approved landscaping plan.
Irene and Alan Kemp have lived at their property on Whitethorn Close for five years and claim they have never seen evidence of the culvert ever being maintained.
Mrs Kemp spoke of their dismay at the loss of the hedge which was reportedly a habitat for wildlife including birds and squirrels.
“For the first time this year there was a family of greenfinch in there and we had squirrels,” said the 66-year-old retiree.
“There is a lady along the road who named about 30 species in there and they’ve all gone now.
“You’re talking nearly 100 metres of hedge that was hawthorn and full of berries, different kinds of birds and wildlife.
“There’s the issue with the wildlife but we’ve also now got no privacy, no security.”
Irene and Alan, 69, a retired timber manager, believe no plans were approved for the hedge to be removed as part of the development and have contacted North Yorkshire County Council as well as their local MP, Rishi Sunak.
“We’ve had the landscaping plans and the hedge shouldn’t have been taken out,” said Mrs Kemp, who previously worked in recruitment at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.
“There is going to be about another eight houses out the back of us, which is fine.
“What we don’t understand is why they have taken out an established hawthorn that had been there for 30 to 40 years, maybe longer.”
Mrs Kemp said they first noticed diggers at the site on Monday, last week.
By by Wednesday, she said it was completely ripped out.
“A man could have gone down there in some waders and cleared the culvert, they didn’t need to take out the hedge. It’s heart-breaking, it was lovely.”
Katie Hardy, 42 a beauty therapist, lives along from the Kemps and is also infuriated by the loss of the hedgerow.
“It’s absolutely disgusting that Tilia have eradicated the hedge that was a vital food source for nature and habitat to an abundance of wildlife,” she said.
“We’ve lost the privacy to our gardens and living room to the rear of our property – absolutely no regard to our human rights.
What made it so special about living here was the green view we had, it’s very rare on a new build site to have a green view.
“And now I have no view and no privacy as my 6ft garden fence is the same height as the adjacent footpath.”
The Sun has contacted both Tilia Homes and North Yorkshire County Council for comment.
What are your rights over neighbouring hedges?
Are you allowed to cut neighbour’s trees?
Legally, homeowners are allowed to trim back any branches or roots that cross into their property.
But, crucially, you can only trim up to the boundary of your property – not over on to your neighbour’s side.
So it’s important to find out who owns the of the hedge and where the boundaries lie.
This can be done by checking the deeds to a property.
If you haven’t already got these, you can purchase them from the Land Registry on the government’s website.
Is the hedge protected?
Another thing you need to do is to see if the hedge is protected by checking whether there is a tree preservation order or whether it’s in a conservation area.
You can do this by asking your local council to check on the local map of your area.
If the hedge is protected, the neighbour should also not carry out any work to it without permission from the local authority.
Could I get compensation?
It may seem obvious but talking to your neighbours could prevent any escalation of the matter – so ask them to explain their action and see them if they’re willing to offer a solution.
But if there is no way to resolve it easily and you would like to take legal action, it’s worth noting that whether your compensation claims can succeed will depend on the court’s view of the extent of damage.
